Opportunities & Challenges

OER have reached the peak of the initial hype – platforms have been created, large quantities of resources have been developed, MOOCs are being offered and certification systems are being piloted; OER appear to be entering the next stage of their development and maturity. In the initial stage, the majority of OER initiatives were funded in the form of projects with external or internal funding. An ongoing challenge faced by these initiatives is what business models might be appropriate to make them sustainable in the longer term (POERUP, 2013).

One of the weaknesses in adopting OERs and OEPs by institutions is the "lack of a direct business model for OER. There is no direct perceived connection between developing OER and getting the benefits of them; OER can seem like giving something away for nothing" (Redecker, Muñoz and Punie, 2013 - page 40).